On February 19, the Tenn-Tom Waterway Transportation Museum will host Dr. Jim Giesen of the MHC’s Speakers Bureau to present his free program, “Ebbs and Flows of Mississippi History.” The free program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Water/Ways, on display at the Tenn-Tom Waterway Transportation Museum through March 8.
There are few states where water has been more central to its history and culture than Mississippi. From ship-building on the coast to Native American migration along rivers and streams, from Civil Rights Movement wade-ins to Civil War strategy, water has played a central role in how and why the Magnolia State looks and operates as it does today. From massive natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the 1927 Mississippi River Flood, to great success stories like the shipbuilding and fishing industries, to less well-known incidents where water played an important role in the development of small communities and towns, the talk will tell not just the well-known water histories of the state, but show how water has become an often overlooked factor in our past, present, and future
Water/Ways is a traveling exhibit offered by the Museum on Main Street division of the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibit explores water’s connection to all aspects of our society, including the endless motion of the water cycle, water’s effect on landscape, settlement and migration, and its impact on culture and spirituality.
Exhibit hours are Monday-Friday 9am-3pm and Saturday by appointment. School and group visits are welcome but are encouraged to schedule a visit by contacting the library in advance at 662-328-8936.
Future Water/Ways events in Columbus:
February 26, 5pm: Mississippi Water: Shaped By the Past, Molding the Future
